Car-retaining device



Feb. 21, 1928. 1,660,039

kG. M. JOHNSON CAR RETAINING DEVICE Filed Sept 15. 1926 Shams-Sheva?l l QN. J

Feb. 2l, 1928.

G. M. JOHNSON CAR RETAINING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Shee., 2

Filed Sept. 15, 1926 IN VE NTO R Patented Feb. 21, 1928..

l UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ica GEORGE JOHNSON, AOIE" JEANNETTE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO FORT PTT MNE EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF PTTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, .A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

can-'RETAINING nnvicn. l

Application nled September 15,1926. SerialV No. 135,568.

My invention relates to car transfer apparatus, and particularly to those of the chain rail conveyer type, wherein ychain links are provided with rail .sections upon which the flanged wheels :of a car may be .supported and the car transferred fromV one position to another.

AThis invention constitutes an improvement upon that disclosed in my application, Serial No. 733,528,.filed August 22, 1924.-, and is more especially directed to an iniproved form of stop for preventing backwardmovement of .cars or locomotives upon an inclined conveyor independently of movement of the .convey/er.

.My invention has for its object the Vprovision .of an improved lform of stop which will eectively prevent movementof the cars down an inclined conveyor, independently of movement fof the conveyer, either` when the conveyor is employed to transfer the cars from a track at a lower level to another track in a higher plane, or to lower cars from the higher track to the lower track, while va-t the same time, :the stops will 'be automatically moved toinoperative position to permit passage of a locomotive, for instance, upwardly along the conveyor, independently of traveling movement of the conveyer, as .when the locomotive brings a load of cars to the lower end of the conveyor and it is desired toniove the same out of the path of the cars to permit their being fed forward by the conveyor.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for automatically moving the stop horns to inoperative posit-ion when they pass from the upper vflight of the conveyor to the lower flight thereof, so that less head room will be required for the apparatus, since the horns will not bca-permitted to project below the lower chain flights.

,Still another object of my invention is to simplify and improvegen'erally the structure and operation of transfer apparatus.

One .form which my invention may take is shown in .the .accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a side elevational view ofchain rail .apparatus :embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a view taken on the line II-II of Fig. .1; Fig. 3 is a plan view., on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. i is a side elevational view of the apparatus of Fig. V3, and Fig. 5 is aside elevational' view showing the position occupied by the horns when traveling along the lower chain flight.

l The drawings .show ay chain rail conveyer for transferring cars 6V from tracks 7 in. one plane to tracks .f8 ina higher plane. The

conveyor is mounted en a framework 9 in which .are journaled shafts 10 and 10a. The

shaft 10a is drivenjfrom a suitable source of power `(not shown). Two sprocket wheel devices 11 .are mounted upon leach of the shafts and each sprocket wheel device is provided with a pair of discs 12 that have recesses for the reception of rollers 13. The rollers .18 are mounted on the ends of shafts 14C that serve as pintles or hinge pins for chain links -15 and 1'6. Rotation ofthe shaft 10TL therefore imparts travelingimovement to the chains. .A pair of channel irons 17 (Fig.

2) 'are provided 'for the upper flight of .each

of the chains to afford vertical support for the rollers`13 and -to hold the 'chains against lateral movement, .so that the cars will rnot become .derailed when being transported by cars when passing along the upper chain flight. Rails y7 and 8 .extend along the conveyer for some distance beyond the sprocket wheels 11 and are of suitable form to permit the Ycars to passthere'from to the chain rails that are .formed by the links V15 and 16.

Each link y16 has a portion cut away., las shown more clearly in Figs. '3, 4 and 5, for the reception of a horn or stop lug .18 that is pivotally connected to the link 16 by ymeans ofa bolt or shaft 19. A'weighted member y2O, which is of greater weight than the lug 18, is pivotally connected .to the link 16 by `means .of :a-.shaft member 21. The members 18 .and QOfare each provided with gear teeth that -interinesh, asv shown more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5.

Then the links 16 enter the :upper conveyer Hight, the weights 20 will swing in a counter-clockwise direction, from the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l to that indicated by full lines, thus moving the stops 18 in a `clockwise direction about their pivots, and into position to engage the treads` of the car wheels and-causing the cars to be advanced with the conveyer. Thestops 18, rwhen in raised position, seat against the shoulder portions 16a of the links 16.

When the links 16 are about to enter the lower flights of the chains, the weights 20 are swung bythe action of gravity from the position Vshown ink Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 5, thus moving the horns 18 into the recesses or cut out portions of the links 16, so that they do not project beyond the lower portion of the framework, and it is therefore unnecessary to provide clearance beneath the framework for the horns. Channel irons 22 are provided to maintain the lower chain flights in properly alined position and prevent sagging and swaying thereof. p

i/Vhile the weights 2O automatically move the stop horns 18 to operative and inoperative positions, they do not prevent movement of the horns to depressed position, as when it is desired to drive a locomotive across the conveyer, yfrom the lower end to theupper endv thereof, nor cause derailment of a car which may happen to be advanced from the tracks 7 against the rea-r sides of the horns y 18, since the horns will fold forwardly and permit the wheels to pass over the same. Furthermore, the horns 18, when folded down, function -as rail heads toassist in supporting theweight of a locomotive which is being driven over the conveyer independently of the conveyer movement.

'Instead of providing but one weight upon each of the shafts 21, a smaller weight can be secured to each end of the'shafts, thus reducing the amount of clearance necessary for the weights.

I claim as my invention.

1. The combination with a conveyer coinposed of chain links having railhead portions for supporting cars, of a pivoted stop member carried by one vof `said links, means for holding said stop member in position toV prevent movement `of cars in one direction relative to the conveyer, and means yieldable to permit movement of the stop to inoperative position ,by cars moving in the opposite direction. Y

2. The combination with a conveyer composed of chain links, one of which has a cut-'out portion, of a stop member supported in said cut-out portion, and means carried by the conveyer for yieldably holding said stop member in protruded position relative to said cut-out portion, during 'its travel along one conveyer flight and for moving it to retracted position during travel along another flight.

3. The. combination with a conveyer composed of chain links, of a stop ineniberand a weight pivotally connected to one of said links, the weight and stop member being relatively movable and so interconnected that the stop member will be yieldably held by the weight in extended position.,

4. The combination with a conveyer coniposed of chain links, of a stop member and a weight pivotally connected to one of said links, the weight and stop member being relatively movable and so interconnected that the stop member will beswung to operative position during passage of said link along ed at right angles to said link, when the link is in one portion of its path of travel and for moving said member into parallelism with the link when said link is at another point in its path of travel; Y y

6. rllie combination with a conveyer composed of chain links, of a stop member pivotally supported by one of the links, `a weighted member pivotally connected to said link, the said stop member andweighted member being provided with interengaging teeth whereby the stopv member will be yieldably held in a predetermined position. e

7 The combination witha conveyer, composed of chain links having rail'head portions for supporting cars, the head portion of one link being partially cut away, of a stop member pivotally supported in said cut away portion, the said y.member being movable froin a position at right anglesto the 8. The combination with a conveyer comtions for supporting cars, the head portion of one link being partially cut away,`of a stop member Apivotally supported in said cut away portion, the said member being movable from a' `position at right angles to the link, to a position in parallelism therewith, and one surface of the Vstop member lying in the same plane as the rail head portion of the link and serving to assist insupporting the wheels of cars'passing `over said link, when thestop'member is in'depressed position. l Y

9. The combination with a conveyer composed of chain links having rail head portions for supporting cars,one of said links having its head portion of reduced width, of a stop member pivotally connected to the 10U link, to a position in parallelism therewith. A

conveyer and movable from a position at right angles to said link into parallelism with the upper surface of the said link and' when in folded position, functioning as a rail head to assist in supporting the weight of a vehicle.

In testimony whereof I the said GEORGE M. JOHNSON have hereunto set my hand.

esoneri M. JoriisisoN. 

